Obituary of David Ronald Butler

Tulsa graphic designer and community leader David Ronald Butler died Tuesday. He was 71. A celebration of his life is scheduled 6 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. Ron, as he was known, and his wife, Margaret Butler, were co-owners of Butler & Butler, a marketing, advertising and public relations firm they founded in 1987. Butler was an active Rotarian and served on boards of several Tulsa-area nonprofit organizations. He helped create the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Awards, and for 23 years he provided the event counsel in addition to graphic-design talent. Born April 20, 1945, in Mineral Wells, Texas, he moved at age 6 to Tulsa with his parents, John Lovett and Fannie Elizabeth Butler. He attended Edison High School, where he wrestled and was a diver on the swim team. Ron then attended the University of Tulsa, where he graduated in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Butler married Maureen McGee in 1966. In 1981, he married Margaret Langley Blust, his partner in business and life. After graduating from TU, Butler worked as a graphic designer at several agencies. He was the first art director at the Williams Cos., and he founded Butler Graphics in 1978. An award-winning designer, Butler regularly judged art competitions, as well as ADDY awards competitions regionally. A mentor to the next generation of marketing and graphic design professionals, Butler taught graphic design as an adjunct instructor at TU and served on the advisory board for the graphic design program at the school now known as Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee. He was instrumental in the creation of TU’s Third Floor Design, a studio that serves the Tulsa nonprofit community and is staffed by students. He was a past president of the Art Directors Club of Tulsa, and he received hundreds of Graphex and ADDY awards, including regional and national ADDYs. In 1995, Butler received the Tulsa Ad Federation’s Silver ADDY, the club’s highest honor for lifetime achievement. In 2000, the organization presented Butler & Butler the EDDY award for outstanding contributions to community service. Butler’s passion was serving others through Rotary. He joined the Rotary Club of Tulsa in 1992 and served on dozens of committees and projects. He created the club’s graphic brand overhaul, and he designed numerous logos for Rotary events and projects. He was a club officer and director numerous times. In 2015, he designed the Rotary Club’s centennial celebration graphics, including the 162-page coffee table book “Celebrate! 100 Years of Rotary in Tulsa.” He was named Rotarian of the Year in 2009. In 2011, he received the club’s highest honor, the James G. Saied Service Above Self … and Then Some Award. Butler received a kidney transplant in 2013 and encouraged friends to become organ donors. Butler is survived by his wife, Margaret Butler; and his children, Scott Butler and Laura Butler of Tulsa, Tresa Helm of Jenks and Devin Blust of the home; two sisters, Louise Schlosser and Jeanne Hunt of Tulsa; a brother, Mike Butler of Padre Island, Texas; seven granddaughters; and four great-grandchildren. The family requests no flowers, but contributions are appreciated to the Rotary Club of Tulsa Foundation. To help with medical expenses, contributions to the David R. Butler Support Trust at SpiritBank would be appreciated.